Fix
by burning the house down
Summary: Over the past several months things at Seattle Grace Hospital have taken a turn for the worse. On the day of Burke and Cristina's almostwedding, Izzie realizes things need to change. Post S3, pairings undecided.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, all of the characters of Grey's Anatomy belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC. (Trust me, if I controlled anything McSteamy would be in a suit far more often. Sigh.)

* * *

There were a lot of things Izzie Stevens thought of herself, but that she was insecure, well, that definitely wasn't one of them.

She'd been beautiful (in the obvious, model way) for quite some time now. Men often turned to look as she walked past. Though over the years it had become more of a nuisance than a compliment, she still enjoyed the attention every once in a while.

Even as an intern, with Dr. Bailey of all people as her resident, Izzie still managed confidence in her medical abilities.

So considering all of her long-instilled feelings of security, Izzie, sitting in the deserted church of Cristina and Burke's almost-wedding, was very confused as to how she'd become so completely unsure.

Since arriving at Seattle Grace her relationships with Meredith and Cristina had been complicated at best. They had one another and she had George, and while sometimes the two groups of friends were one unit, for the most part Izzie felt like an outsider amongst the girls. Cristina and Meredith understood one another in a way that she felt she never would

Alex was complicated too. He had at first been the asshole, then the friend slash lover, then the asshole again with the whole Syph Nurse disaster...and now she wasn't quite sure where Alex stood with her but things had certainly taken a turn for the better, post-Denny.

George. Lately, Izzie didn't like to spend a lot of time thinking about the George situation. At night when she lay at home in bed she wondered if she truly loved him like she said he did.

Okay, it wasn't that she didn't love him. He was her best friend. But could that love have been born of her insane jealousy of Callie?

_Shit._ She'd said it. Or thought it anyway.

_Izzie was jealous of Callie._

_Izzie is jealous of Callie._

At the time when she'd needed her best friend the most he'd focused on developing his relationship with someone who she still believed was completely wrong for him.

Meredith was all...McCrazy. (Plus the whole drowning thing.)

Cristina had her Colin Marlow/Burke drama. Not to mention the stress she was under with the approach of the wedding.

And she wasn't going to allow herself to lean on Alex yet.

So she missed George.

There was no one else.

And then she'd slept with George.

Huge mistake.

But it wasn't just Izzie and George.

Over the past few months things had managed to go to hell for everyone at Seattle Grace.

* * *

Meredith, usually good with all things Cristina, was out of ideas. She didn't know what to do about the figure laying slumped beside her on the bed.

The bed she had once shared (still did share? Who knew) with Burke.

_Bastard._

Her brain was working overtime to come up with something light and non-philosophical to say when the doorbell rang.

_Thank God._

She stole a glance at the figure before shuffling, still in her dress, to the door.

"I-I don't want to see anyone. Especially my mother!" Cristina yelled from the bedroom.

"It's Izzie."

Cristina groaned, "That might be worse."

Meredith opened the door wide enough to reveal her small frame.

"Look, Iz…she's still-"

She had forgotten to account for the fact that Izzie was much stronger than she, and probably less exhausted (breaking up with Derek and watching her best friend fall apart over the past couple of hours had taken it's toll).

This battle clearly lost, Meredith wondered if, after Denny, Izzie would be the one to know what to do.

How her friend had already made it to the foot of the bed was beyond Meredith's comprehension.

"_Seriously_?"

Izzie nudged the underside of the bed with her foot and reached down to pick up a medium-sized duffel.

Pause.

"Are you _seriously _crying over Burke?"

She at random chose a drawer containing some of Cristina's clothes and began carefully folding them into the bag.

Meredith hesitantly observed from the doorway.

Cristina's figure still hadn't moved and Meredith considered that she might have fallen asleep.

"You don't cry, and honestly it's freaking me out. Get dressed."

"I am NOT crying." Cristina lifted the pillow from her face long enough to reveal the mascara stains neither she nor Meredith had thought to take care of earlier.

"What are you doing?" She caught a sweatshirt that had been thrown in her direction.

"Packing. What else do you need?" Izzie asked distractedly, then dangled a pink thong from her index finger, "Thongs, and pink of all colors, I must say-"

"I'm not going anywhere. Actually, I'd kind of just like to be alone right now so you and Meredith can both go. I'm FINE."

Meredith found herself in no position to protest, but Izzie remained determined.

"Shut it, Yang."

Barbie using a last name? This was serious.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** If you recognize it, it's not mine. Unfortunately, Shonda Rhimes and ABC are in control. If I had the power... :insert maniacal laughter: .

* * *

Several hours later Cristina leaned, elbows propped behind her, against the island in Meredith's kitchen. 

What appeared to be remnants of several of Izzie's baking experiments (either that was flour smeared all over the table, or one of her friends had a serious drug problem which needed to be addressed...yesterday. _Probably Izzie_, Christina figured...) littered most available surfaces in the room.

"Okay, now this is just disgusting." She lifted her arm to reveal a smudge of chocolate on the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"You're one to talk, Ms. I'd Rather Buy A New Pair of Underwear Than Wash," Izzie retorted, popping a strawberry from its case into her mouth.

"Hey, who told you that? Mer?...MEREDITH?"

Meredith pushed a number of days old newspapers from the table into a trashcan. "What? Well, it's true. Plus, if you're staying for a while Izzie has a right to know what she's getting into..."

Cristina rolled her eyes and bit into a chocolate chip muffin that had been left to cool.

"Right, well I won't be here long. Just long enough to find a place, then I'm out. Maybe my old apartment's-"

"What do you mean you need a place?" Izzie questioned , "Burke _gave_ you the apartment. It's yours. You can stay here as long as you want but then I think you should go back to hi-"

The quick look Meredith shot her told her this idea had already been vetoed.

"Or stay here."

Cristina began calmly, "First of all, I haven't even spoken to Burke. He can't just give up the apartment on Meredith's answering machine."

Meredith nodded.

"Secondly, I don't want it."

"Well, the whole message thing was weird, but-" Izzie began to rationalize, a technique which generally went unappreciated by the two girls.

"Plus, you all would drive me crazy."

Meredith and Izzie nodded in agreement.

"Hey, why didn't Burke ever get a McName?" Meredith asked as she took a seat at the table.

"You were probably worried I'd kill you." Cristina said, clearing an area on the counter before she lifted herself.

"What about McAss?" Izzie offered.

"No." Meredith shook her head.

"And it could imply that we like his ass, which we do not, because he is a McBastard who makes me fall in love with him, and get close enough to his mother that I let her TAKE. MY. EYEBROWS."

Izzie reached to sympathetically pat her friend's hand but quickly retracted it after yet another look from Meredith.

"...And then he...MCRUNS," she ranted.

"So, McBastard it is?"

* * *

"I don't know what to do." 

Mark Sloan turned to greet the voice from the stool beside him. Though he'd had plenty of time to return home to change after the wedding, his ex-best friend was here at Joe's in formal attire.

He might have been puzzled as to why Derek was choosing to confide in him, had it not happened several times over the preceding...weeks? months?...how long had it been?

Since Meredith drowned, really. He realized.

He'd, in one of his finer moments, made the first move.

And with that Derek made a more concerted effort, trying his hand at helping heal the rift.

However brief, they had these encounters that reminded him of the way things had been in New York. Before he'd fallen in love with his best friend's wife, before Seattle, before any of it.

Derek would come with the problem (towards the end, he'd had many) and Mark would give the advice. Granted, he usually ended up not taking it which was probably why, in Mark's opinion, Derek and Addison were divorced today.

"Well, I don't think best man duties extend to finding him when he obviously doesn't want to be found, so I'd say you're in the clear."

"I'm talking about Meredith."

"Ahh."

_It's always Meredith. Even when it isn't._

"So over? _So_ over? Why can't we just have this conversation like a normal couple?"

Mark, thinking it best to save the smartass comments for another day, motioned to Joe for two beers.

"I just don't think I can do it anymore."

"You can."

They sat in silence.

"Just don't screw this one up."

Derek's eyes narrowed, but Mark didn't back down.

"Don't let this be another Addison. You love her, you have to fight for her. It's not supposed to be easy."

"When did you become Mr. Romance?" Derek took a swig of the beer Joe placed in front of him, nodding in acknowledgement.

Shrug.

He couldn't tell him it had been when Addison had decided he wasn't good enough, so instead he took a long drink.

"You go near Meredith, you're a dead man."

* * *

George had made it as far as the ambulance bay before he took the seat where he'd had his earlier conversation with Dr. Bailey. He'd been sitting for hours, wondering how he would tell his wife. His friends. 

He'd failed.

How had he let things get this bad? How had _they _let things get this bad?

He'd been so distracted with his personal problems that he had failed his first-year exam. He'd worked all year long and he'd failed. How did that _happen_?

How was he going to tell Callie he had to stay at Seattle Grace?

(He never would have made it as far as he had without his friends. Or any of the people who had been pulling for him since the beginning.)

"George? What are you doing here?"

That voice.

_Not yet. I'm not ready._

"Callie."

"What's going on George?"

A line on the concrete proved hypnotizing and he'd been unable to prevent the words falling from his mouth.

She'd taken his hand at the news of his failed exam. ("Why didn't you tell me?" She questioned softly.)

And then, somehow, he'd told her.

"I slept with Izzie."

Her grip on his hand loosened before she let go. Still, he stared at the ground.

Silence.

"I-" George began.

"I think you've said enough." Callie paused for a moment, to collect her thoughts.

"I knew-I can't believe you told me _today_. Chief resident...we tried for a BABY _today_. And you tell me now. Even if you don't love me-"

"But I do. Don't you understand? I do love you. I can't explain..."

"Even if you don't love me the least you could have done was to end this." She couldn't control the tears. "You knew-You knew how I felt about your friends. You knew how I felt about _her _and still..."

"We didn't mean for any of this to happen, Callie. Believe me."

"_Believe_ you? I've believed for too long. I believed that you could love me. I _believed_ that we could work through Izzie hating me. I believed that you'd choose me over your friends. I can't believe you anymore, George. You're not the decent guy I thought you were. You're a coward."

"It was a mistake." George was still unsure, but it seemed like the right thing to say.

Minutes later, when he finally looked up, she was gone.

* * *

**A/N:**

Coming up:

Our residents (and George?) return to the hospital. Mwahaha. And hopefully things should start to pick up.

Thanks to all of you who have managed to review this story already! Wow! This is my first...and the main reason I chose to write it was so I could get the characters out of my head (Insanity I tell you). Any comments, questions, advice, or criticisms are appreciated, it's how I learn!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Seriously? Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes and ABC. I'm just borrowing them.

* * *

The next day it seemed as if some silent arrangement had been made that the four occupants of Meredith's house would leave for the hospital together. 

Not only was it the first day of their residency, a pretty big milestone, but a lot of things had changed since they'd left the hospital the day before.

The three women weren't quite sure what had happened to Alex (his attempt to hide his stress failed, and the rumpled look of his clothes was impossible to miss...and they were pretty sure it wasn't from the stress of Cristina's situation), but he had, surprisingly, not taken off on his own.

An hour before they would need to leave for the hospital, they met in the kitchen.

Cristina's legs swung from their usual spot on the counter as she sipped from the a coffee mug, eyes wide.

Meredith raked the remains of her breakfast from her plate with a fork and stowed a muffin in her purse for later.

Izzie paced.

None of them spoke.

Alex entered, swinging a bag over his shoulder.

He took one look at the Izzie.

"Well, this will be fun."

* * *

Mark stretched his legs across several waiting room chairs and leaned back, eyes closed, sipping from his coffee. 

This had to be his favorite time of day. In just a few minutes the group of interns who had taken the rumor mill by storm would be entering the hospital once more, this time as residents.

The rumor mill was already hard at work.

Of course, the big news of the day was the collapse of Cristina and Burke's relationship.

_"I'm still trying to figure out how she caught Dr. Burke. What a bitch."_

_"She can be pretty cold."_

_"Pretty cold? She practically trapped him with her 'pregnancy'."_

_"You're right. She made him propose. He really had no choice but to leave her at the altar."_

_"But still...to leave on the wedding day?"_

_"Did any you hear his vows?"_

_"Ugh. What a bitch."_

Then there was George, who many predicted would not be showing his face in the hospital today. Or ever again.

And Callie.

_"Did you see them talking in the ambulance bay yesterday? She was crying!"_

_"She's probably pregnant. I heard them talking about trying."_

Derek and Meredith were not to be excluded. In fact, Mark was pretty sure the nurses knew more about their relationship than they did.

_"What did she mean by that_ 'so over' _thing at the wedding?"_

_"Did you see the look on his face?"_

_"She couldn't have dumped him. __She'd have to be a real idiot."_

_"Well, she has been a little loopy since her suicide attempt."_

_"Poor girl. First her mother, then her father's new wife, now this."_

_"So does this mean he's single again?"_

_"Ha. Like you have a chance. Maybe Addison will take him back."_

_"Addison? Isn't she le-"_

"Good morning ladies."

Mark looked up in time to catch the smile Addison flashed the nurses as she strode by, heels clicking against the tiled floor before she came to a stop in front of him.

"Addison."

"Hey, Mark." She took a seat, gently crossing her legs. "So-"

"When do you leave?"

"Damn, I thought I caught them in time." Her smile had always made him weak.

"This is the second shift I've sat through. You leaving was old news hours ago."

"Who else knows?" She asked quietly.

"Derek isn't in yet, if that's what your worried about. You probably have a few minutes."

"Good." She paused, glancing around. "I would have told you, you know. I just-It was kind of a last minute decision."

"No explanation necessary."

"Who knows, I might be back."

He doubted it.

"But it's something I have to do."

Mark's pager beeped and he stood, turning to her.

"Meet me at Joe's later?" She asked.

"Sure. Well, I've got-"

"That's all right, go ahead. I'll see you later, Mark."

She really had to stop smiling at him.

* * *

"Okay, so let's go over this one more time." Cristina said, facing her three friends who were now leaning against Meredith's car in Seattle Grace's parking lot. 

"You're fine. Burke's not here. You're completely over the wedding and better off without having it." Meredith recited.

"Great. So. Let's go?"

"Can I just say that this little coaching session makes it painfully obvious how not fine you are? Your fiance is a douchebag who left you at the altar. I think people will understand if you're a little upset. In fact maybe it'll make you seem a little more human." Alex said, no longer leaning against the car and moving towards the building.

"You're one to talk," Izzie said quietly from his side.

"Okay, not helping." Meredith interjected, hurrying to catch up with the others.

"This is work, I have to be fine here. I know some of you don't mind your personal life being shared with everyone," she looked pointedly at Meredith "But I'd prefer to keep this quiet." She hurried ahead of the group to catch the elevator before it closed.

"That was low," Izzie said as she watched Meredith stab at the elevator button with her thumb.

"We just need to give her some space."

"Thanks a lot, Alex." Izzie said.

"Just because I'm the only one who can tell the truth around here..."

* * *

Meredith turned to rifle through her bag, tuning out her friend's bickering voices. 

She looked up.

Derek.

He entered through the sliding doors of the entrance just as the elevator doors opened.

Meredith quickly slipped in behind her friends.

"Hold it!" A nurse reached for the 'door open' button.

She held her breath

"Derek."

It was Addison.

Meredith had never been happier to hear the voice of the other woman.

She assumed Derek had motioned to the nurse to go on without him because seconds later the doors slid shut.

* * *

Cristina immediately regretted her words once she was on the elevator. 

Getting upset and lashing out was nothing new.

Getting upset and lashing out at Meredith was.

_Crap. It's going to be a long day._ She thought.

Pushing the thoughts of earlier out of her mind she stepped out onto the surgical floor.

"Yang."

Before she had time to stare down any of the nurses for the looks they were giving her, she felt herself being steered by her elbow into the nearest empty room.

"Dr. Bailey?"

"You okay?"

Cristina opened her mouth to say something but the shorter woman continued.

"You don't have to tell me. I just wanted to tell you that...I'm sure the Chief will understand if you need another day."

"I-"

"I know you're fine. But just in case."

As swiftly as she'd marched Cristina into the room, she opened the door and disappeared.

* * *

When Cristina finally rejoined them, Meredith, Izzie and Alex were gathered in their new locker room, positioned around the bench of the row farthest away from the door. 

Meredith and Izzie's had claimed lockers on one side of the bench while Alex chose one at the end of the other.("_For when you girls get all crazy and PMS-y"_, he'd said.)

"S-" Cristina began, setting her bag down on the bench and beginning to change.

"Callie's Chief Resident!" Izzie whispered harshly.

"What? What about Bailey?"

"We don't know yet. But at least we get to see the new interns go through what we did last year."

"Meredith, no one will go through what you did last year." Alex said, tying the bottoms of his scrubs.

"Shut it, Evil Spawn."

"Doesn't the Evil Spawn stuff ever get old?"

"Nope." Cristina replied as they exited the locker room.

"But...seriously? Everyone loves Bailey. Chief loves Bailey. So, we're a little afraid of her...she's clearly the best resident Seattle Grace has." Izzie reasoned, her arms folded across her chest.

"I think it's part of his whole 'Save the Surgeons' campaign." Meredith said. "I think he _didn't _choose her because he cares so much. She has a husband and a kid, Callie just has..."

"George," said Izzie.

There was a long pause.

"Meredith."

She turned at the sound of her name.

"Can we talk?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

* * *

As Meredith stood deep in conversation with her friends about Callie's appointment as Chief Resident, she was also aware that their central location would make it difficult to avoid Derek. 

Considering her luck, she wasn't surprised to hear her name called.

She was, however, surprised to turn and find her maybemaybenot-boyfriend's ex-wife requesting to speak with her.

"Can we talk?" The tall redhead had said.

She always made Meredith feel inadequate.

"I'm waiting for-well, uh...sure."

What Addison could possibly have to discuss with Meredtih was unclear. They weren't working on any cases together and as far as Meredith knew, Addison and Derek hadn't had any meaningful contact in weeks.

What else could there be?

Meredith hesitantly followed Addison into a secluded hallway, briefly considering she might be living her last moments.

"I'm sure you're wondering what I could possibly have to say to you."

"Well, uh, yeah." Meredith stood with her arms at her sides and shuffled her feet, but refused to look away.

"I just thought I should tell you-I guess, for some reason I thought I owed it to you...to tell you that I'm leaving Seattle."

"Oh."

"Not that I've really been any competition for some time.."

Meredith tried her best not to appear uncomfortable.

"...but I'm sure things will be much better without the ex-wife hanging around, issues resolved or not." She smiled.

"I never really thought I'd be saying this, Dr. Montg-Addison, but I'll be sorry to see you go. I've-and I know some of the others, Alex and Izzie, especially-learned a lot from you...about neonatal."

"I always knew you had talent, Grey. From the moment I heard about Derek's new intern."

"Derek and I, well, I'm not quite sure what we are...at the moment."

She wasn't sure why the words had come out of her mouth. She had barely told Cristina and Izzie about her conversation with Derek.

Meredith was taken aback by Addison's matter-of-fact response.

"You'll work it out."

And Meredith believed her.

There was a pause, that (for the first time Meredith could remember in their months of interaction) was not awkward.

Addison's pager beeped.

"Well, I'll see you." Addison said, briefly touching her arm before leaving to respond to her page.

* * *

The night before, after Callie left, George remained in the ambulance bay well past dark. 

Going home was out of the question.

So, also, was going to Meredith's house. Though he and Izzie were able to function (somewhat) neutrally when around their friends, for them to spend the night under the same roof after the conversation he'd just had with his wife...that would just be asking for trouble.

Had Burke still been in town, or had Alex still had his apartment, those would have been viable options.

Instead, he spent the night in an empty on-call room.

Tension with Izzie would be difficult. Explaining his problems with Callie to his friends even more so.

As he lay on the top bunk, staring at the ceiling he concluded that whatever his decision, he had to move forward.

Swinging his legs over the bed, he prepared for his second year as a first-year intern at Seattle Grace.

* * *

Following her conversation with Addison, Meredith rejoined her friends in the hallway.

The three, along with their peers who had also passed their exams filed into an empty conference room.

"Callie's already late on her first day? How profession-" Izzie began as the group took their seats nearest the window.

The words were barely out of her mouth before Callie entered, a stack of folders in hand and a bright smile on her face.

"Congratulations. If you're here I assume it means that you have passed your first-year exams and have now ventured into the world of actually getting to practice medicine on your own. Well, not completely on your own, we don't trust you that much yet. For those of you who don't know, I'm Callie Torres, I specialize in orthopedic surgery and I'm your new Chief Resident. In just a short while a number of you will be receiving your own group of first-year interns."

She paused just long enough for the new residents to begin shifting uncomfortably in their chairs.

"That's right, you will be in charge of the fates of your own first-year interns. You'll probably be assigned approximately five, but, well, you should know the drill you went through it last year. Just try not to screw things up too badly, okay?"

Callie's eyes followed those of most in the room to the four friends.

"Oh, and how about we try and keep our residencies as drama-free as possible? I think we've had enough of that over the past year. Moving along, as usual you have me and the other residents as resources. There's just a little bit of paperwork to fill out, "She began circulating the packets of paper, "And then you can pick up your intern assignments from the nurse's station on your way out. Any questions?"

* * *

As Meredith, Izzie, Alex and Christina reached the nurse's station Meredith whispered, "I can't believe she looked at us." 

"I think it was mostly you three. Well, mostly you." Alex responded.

"Once again, not helping."

"Seriously, who does she think she is? We're not the only ones who've made mistakes this year." Izzie heatedly whispered back, taking her intern assignment from the desk.

"Sometimes I feel like we are." Cristina said, "Man, I picked the wrong group, didn't I?"

Meredith swatted her friend with her papers and then leaned against the nurse's station to read.

Alex read from own, "Lexie Grey? That's your sister, right Meredith?"

Meredith, preoccupied with her own paper, didn't look up.

"That's what I hear. What about her?"

"She's on my list."

* * *

Izzie had ventured a few steps away from then nurse's desk to review her own assignment. Just as she was folding the paper to place back into her pocket Callie appeared in front of her. 

"Izzie, can I talk to you for a moment?"

She fidgeted uneasily.

"Sure, Callie, what's up?"

Callie began slowly walking away from where many of the residents were gathering, not bothering to turn to see if Izzie was following her.

She stopped about twenty feet down the hall.

"So...I know."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb. George told me you two slept together."

"Look, Callie-"

"I don't want to really get into it since we're at work, but I just wanted to tell you that I'm done fighting. You win. You get what you always wanted, I'm out of the picture. You can have him."

"Callie, it was a mistake."

"A mistake? You ruin my marriage and that's all you have to say, it was a mistake? You couldn't just let him be happy? From the beginning you never gave yourself a chance to like me. God forbid he spend a little time-that he care about someone-other than you and you just couldn't stand it. Well, now you don't have to worry about me." Callie crossed her arms and leaned against the glass behind her.

One of the new residents looked as if they were going to approach, but turned when they saw the heated conversation.

Callie lowered her voice, "Unfortunately, we still have to work together. And I value my job. You stay out of my way, I'll stay out of yours."

* * *

Later that evening Meredith sat on her usual stool at Joe's sipping from a bottle. 

"Hey."

She was grateful that she was already well into her third beer.

"Derek."

"This seat empty?" He asked.

"Sure."

"Long day?"

"The longest. I'm starting to understand why Bailey was so tough on us in the beginning."

"Just in the beginning?" He smiled.

She found herself smiling back, "You know what I mean. Plus, I found out that my sister is doing her internship here. With Alex of all people as her resident."

"Yeah, I think I might've heard something about that."

"That was me trying to communicate."

"I noticed," he smiled again.

"So yeah, long day."

"And now here I am wanting to talk."

"Well, the day can't possibly get any worse," she joked. "You want to get out of here?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Very obviously not mine.

* * *

With her busy schedule at work, packing had been one of the farthest thing from Addison Montgomery's mind. 

But now that she'd completed her final shift and her goodbyes to her colleagues at Seattle Grace were all said and done, there was little left to do. 

Though the hotel room she had called home for the majority of her stay in Seattle had been nice, when she'd begun reconsidering the direction her life would be taking (and more seriously thinking about moving to L.A.) she had moved into a suite large enough to hold most of the belongings she'd previously kept in New York. In fact, less than a week before she 'd had them shipped to her. 

As she stood in her bedroom, looking at the assortment of half-packed boxes, she craved a cup of coffee to get her through. 

"Here you go." 

"Thanks, Mark."

* * *

Meredith lay in bed, silently staring at the ceiling in contemplation as she often did when there was a lot on her mind. 

"What's wrong?" From behind, Derek's arm stretched across her stomach. 

She thought back to the night before. 

_Meredith had to admit that she was slightly affected by the two and a half beers she'd downed before suggesting to Derek that they leave Joe's (and if she was being honest, the one and a half she'd had after he joined her). _

_She'd also forgotten that she'd been expecting Izzie and Cristina._

_Though it had only been a little over a day since their conversation before "the wedding that wasn't", it seemed like much longer...since everything._

_Now, they were back in the parking lot at SGH, Derek behind the wheel in Meredith's car. They hadn't spoken in the short walk from the bar across the street._

_Derek spoke, presumably to fill the silence._

_"My place or yours?"_

_Meredith almost laughed at how apparent it was that he had been searching for something...anything...to say._

_Given the number of people who would soon be inhabiting almost every corner of Meredith's home, it would obviously not be the appropriate place for what would likely be a serious conversation. Not to mention the fact that he was driving Meredith's car would mean that he wouldn't have a way home._

_"Uh...yours? Cristina's at the house now, too, so it's kind of packed."_

_"Ah, yes, she would be. How is she?"_

_"Surprisingly well. I guess. Well, we haven't really talked about it much, really. But she's handling it. And today was the real test and that wasn't too bad either so I think things are ...good."_

_"Good."_

_They'd made small talk for the rest of the short ride._

_Ten minutes later Meredith sat on the trailer's front steps as Derek brought a glass of water for her and a beer for himself._

_"I talked to Addison today," she said._

_He looked surprised, and it was then she realized they hadn't had a conversation about his ex-wife in some time. Probably since they hadn't really talked in a while, but it still surprised her._

_"I think she'll be happier in L.A, " he'd said. "Things have to be less complicated there...and she'll be away from Mark."_

_Meredith felt as if she was almost past the point of jealousy. Just as Derek had told his ex-wife (back when they were still trying to work things out) that his love for Meredith couldn't just go away, she also knew he would never stop caring about the woman he'd spent so much of his life loving._

_"You know, he's not so bad."_

_Of course he would know much better than she._

_"I know. That still doesn't mean he and Addison..." he trailed off._

_Knowing this moment would not be the best for an argument about his ex-wife and ex-best friend, Meredith said nothing and instead played with the rim of her glass._

_Derek went on._

_"Mark is and will always be...Mark. And while I do think that he might actually care about her that doesn't mean anything between them would work."_

_"Isn't this all a little irrelevant considering, I think, she wasn't really interested?"_

_"I think I know a little too much about my ex-wife's life." He smiled into his beer._

_"Maybe."_

_A few beats of silence passed before Derek spoke again._

_"We can't keep avoiding this."_

_Meredith bit her lip._

_"Okay, I can't keep avoiding this." he said, sitting his bottle down behind him._

_"Can I go first? I probably need to say everything, before I forget."_

_He nodded._

_"I know things have been crazy with us. Ever since the accident...something's changed. I know I told you I wasn't giving up back then but really, I was. And I really wish I could tell you everything but you'd think I was completely crazy...all I'll say is it involved Denny...and Doc...and I'm pretty sure that's why I ended up not dying. But, ever since then I've kind of realized how much I really didn't like who I was and how miserable I was and how much I didn't want to be that person anymore."_

_She took a deep breath._

_"That's kind of what Alex moving in was. And why I eventually let Susan in and even tried things with my dad. So when the whole Susan thing happened...and the thing with my dad it kind of felt like something was telling me I wasn't supposed to be happy and have those things. That having a sane mom and a dad who cared just wasn't supposed to happen for me. Then when I talked to you I knew that was a conversation that we couldn't have until after the wedding. I thought I'd know for sure then. The wedding was supposed to tell me that people like me and Cristina can be happy, even though we're all dark and twisty."_

_She lowered her voice._

_"And you know how that ended."_

_"Just because Cristina and Burke didn't work out, doesn't mean..." _

_"I know. I know that dealing with me hasn't been the easiest thing with all of my...baggage. But at the same time, I want you to understand and stick with me even though sometimes it seems like I'm crazy. I'm trying my hardest to let you in because that's the person I want to be...it's just so many things are telling me that I can't."_

_"I don't want to be the one who's always on the outside looking in on you, Meredith. I know you talk to Cristina and Izzie and Alex...and even George. Why can you confide in them and not me?"_

_"Because...we're different. I don't know."_

_"We're supposed to be different."_

_Silence._

_"I really want to work on this." she said._

When Meredith was silent for a minute he kissed her bare shoulder and tightened his grip on her waist. 

"I was just thinking...about last night." she said, rolling onto her back. 

"Ah." 

"This isn't going to be easy, is it?" she asked.

* * *

Izzie walked into the kitchen to find Cristina rummaging through the fridge. 

"Where's Meredith?" she asked. 

Cristina shrugged. 

"Never came home last night." 

"You don't think we should've, like, gone looking for her or anything do you?" 

Cristina turned, fruit in hand. 

"Go looking for...what? We know she was with McDreamy. There's probably a reason she didn't call." 

"Unless..." 

"Yeah, right." she hopped onto the counter. 

"You never know. We never do the whole responsible bar thing, really anything could have happened." 

"You mean we should start calling and babysitting and stuff? Yeah, don't think so." 

Izzie poured herself a bowl of cereal, sitting down at the table. Her mind was twisting and turning in overdrive as she contemplated breaching what she knew to be a sensitive subject. 

She dove in head first. 

"So, what do you think you'll do about Burke's apartment?" 

Cristina shrugged. 

"I mean, you can't just let it sit there, right?" 

"Why not?" 

"Because! It's a really nice place and it doesn't make sense for it to go to waste just because Burke isn't there anymore." 

Cristina narrowed her eyes. 

"It's barely been two freaking days since what was supposed to be one of the biggest days of my life. Do you think you could wait, I don't know, at least a week, before you start jumping on my back about what I'm going do with the damn apartment?" she stepped off of the counter. " 

"What am I going to do with it? I. DON'T. KNOW." 

Seconds later, Izzie heard the slam of the front door. 

"That went well."

* * *

George lay in the exact position he had the morning before. 

This had been his second night's rest spent in the on-call room. He knew, now, he would have to find somewhere else to stay before the nurse's became suspicious. 

Two nights would be acceptable given his hectic schedule, but anymore than that and people would at the very least have their suspicions about his deteriorating relationship with his wife. 

They had managed to largely avoid one another the day before. He had luckily only seen her once from afar. 

Day one, what he hoped would be the hardest part, was over. 

He was re-assigned to Dr. Bailey. He wouldn't have wanted it any other way, he realized. 

It would've been mortifying to be assigned to one of his friends. 

The interns he was grouped with were nice enough, but he had no intentions of becoming anymore than what they were, colleagues. With any of them. 

Plus, by now, they all knew that he had failed his boards. 

Thankfully, Bailey didn't treat him like one of the others. 

"Of course, you're different," she'd said. 

He'd already demonstrated more than one procedure to the others. 

He had eaten lunch with his peers and realized he missed how easy things were with Meredith, Izzie, Cristina and Alex. How much of a team they'd been. 

There were things that needed to be discussed. 

A brief encounter with Lexie Grey reminded him of the trouble he'd surely be in when he had a chance to tell Meredith about their encounter the day before. 

_"George O'Malley."_

_"Ms. Grey."_

_"So life led you...back here, I see."_

_"Yeah, it's actually a pretty long story"_

_She smiled._

_"I can imagine. I'd love to hear it sometime...but," she pointed to her tray "my resident gave us a quick lunch and those guys aren't waiting for me."_

_"I understand. Some other time then," he glanced around, hoping none of his friends would choose this moment to appear._

_"By the way, thanks for the appendectomy tip. Saved my life already today."_

_"I thought it would."_

_"See you around."_

_She waved goodbye as she went off to join her friends._

George cringed when he realized that he hadn't checked in with his friends since before Cristina's wedding. They'd probably expected that he at least would have dropped by when the news reached him. 

He would have known where to find them. 

Tonight would be the night when he'd have to face them.

* * *

Mark offered Addison her usual coffee mug. 

She gestured with her free hand. 

"We'll never finish, you might as well leave now. Come back whenever...tomorrow, next week, next year...I'll still be here." 

"That's right, you did try drama in college didn't you?" 

"Shut it." she lightly pushed his shoulder. 

The night before they had met at the bar early. It had been another one of their intense conversations in which Addison somehow managed to get him to bare his soul to her, while saying very little. 

His alcohol intake might also have had something to do with it. 

When they'd both decided it was time to leave he had offered to help her pack, a task he knew she would've barely started. 

They'd spent the entire night talking and packing the past several months of her life, but mostly talking. 

At one point, very early in the morning, as they lay stretched out side by side on the floor, Addison turned to him. 

_"Why don't you let anyone else see you like this? This is the Mark I love."_

_"See me like what?"_

_"Like coming home with me just to help me pack. Like not hating me after you found out that I was moving away less than a day ago."_

_He'd shrugged it off jokingly._

_But really, he felt as if she brought this side out of him._

He looked over at her contentedly sipping from her cup. 

"Why don't you let anyone else see you like this?" he mimicked her question from earlier. 

"Like what?" she responded, grinning. 

"Like this." he pointed to her as she stood in a pair of shorts and t-shirt that probably at one time belonged to Derek. 

She shrugged. 

"Now this wouldn't be very professional, would it?" 

"I think the patients would love it." He bumped her shoulder with his own. 

Soon after they continued packing up her belongings, her handing him folded clothes to be placed into her luggage. 

"I know this hasn't been the easiest year. But I'm really going to miss you, Mark." she said. 

"We'll visit." 

"It won't be the same." 

For a moment he was afraid she might cry, but she instead placed her hand over his as she looked him steadily in the eyes. 

_Understatement of the century?_ He thought. 

And wondered if he'd ever find a woman he cared about as much as he did her.

* * *

A/N: I'm aware that this is a pretty lame use of an Author's Note but can I just say...WHY are they making Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) a credited cast member? Why? Why? Fourteen episodes wasn't enough? Now they have to stretch her drama arc for the WHOLE SEASON? Possibly longer? This almost upsets me as much as it does that Isaiah Washington is revealing himself to be a true ass. I love Burke. 

Oh, Grey's. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, not mine. Why do Shonda and ABC get to have all the fun:(

* * *

At lunch, Meredith caught up with her friends for the first time since the day began. 

"Okay, has anyone seen George?" She asked, placing her tray down on the table where Alex, Izzie and Cristina were already engaged in conversation.

"Speaking of missing…" Cristina said, shooting Meredith a sideways glance.

"What?" She asked innocently, biting into an apple.

"Someone didn't come home last night." Izzie pointed out.

"Derek showed up at the bar…"

"Damn."

Izzie slid Cristina five dollars.

"Dude, who would bet on that?" Alex questioned.

The two girls ignored him.

"And see this is exactly why we need to be more careful. Anything could've happened to you and we wouldn't know."

"You could've asked Joe."

"See, we could've asked Joe." Cristina chimed in.

"Personally, I didn't notice. There are too many damn people in the house." he glanced pointedly at Cristina.

"What? Watch it. It's not like I'm moving in."

"But really, about George..." Meredith, sensing the impending argument, tried (and failed) to interject.

"Sure seems like it." He muttered.

"You know what? It's been TWO DAYS." She pushed her chair away from the table and rushed off, leaving her tray.

Meredith and Izzie turned to glare at Alex.

"What?"

"What's your problem?" Asked Izzie, taking a bite of her salad.

"You know, we could all stand to be a little more sensitive. It _has_ only been two days. And have any of us really tried talking about it?"

Alex looked away.

Izzie spoke up, "I tried…"

"We suck."

* * *

Derek's day had started out well enough. 

Things with Meredith seemed to be resolved (for the moment at least), the review of a young patient's post-op x-rays revealed that she wouldn't need another surgery afterall, and the new interns had managed not to kill any of his patients overnight.

Yes, things were going well.

He was standing at the nurse's station going over the chart of the one of the aforementioned still-living patients when Alex Karev approached, two young men who he assumed to be his interns trailing behind.

"Dr. Shepard."

"How's it going, Karev?"

"Interns won't leave me alone. Please tell me you've got a case."

In a generous mood from the day's victories, Derek offered,

"Luckily for you, I'm heading out for a consult. I could use some help."

"Thanks, man."

"Sure." He signed off on a chart and handed it to a nurse. "And Karev? Remember, this is a teaching hospital. You're going to have to teach them eventually." Derek turned to walk away, motioning for the two (very nervous) interns to follow him.

"Shepard!" Karev called after him. "There's one more."

Derek turned as a brunette of medium-height hurried to catch up with the group.

He recognized her as the woman from Joe's.

She offered her hand.

"Dr. Shepard? It's nice to meet you,"

The twinkle in her eyes told him that she too remembered his face.

"I'm Lexie Grey."

* * *

"Crap." 

A box of gloves tumbled off a shelf onto Meredith's head as she searched the supply closet for a surgical kit.

"This is so not my job." She re-stacked a pile of overturned boxes.

She jumped when the door swung open, and the boxes fell to the floor.

"Meredith. I've been looking for you."

"George! You scared me. Where 've you been? We've been worried about you."

He bent to help her clean up.

"It's a long story. I need to explain, but...not here. Free tonight?"

"Sure. Joe's?"

"Actually, I think this is more of a conversation for the house. Around ten?"

"Sure. You're all right?"

"I think we all have a lot to talk about."

"I'll get the alcohol."

"That might not be the best idea either."

Meredith shot him a look, "What's this about?"

"I promise I'll explain everything later. Please?"

"Okay...but just know that you're acting really strange. Freaking me out a little."

"Are you kidding? This is normal for me lately."

He smiled.

"Well, Bailey's probably looking for me. I better go."

"See you later, George"

* * *

After making the night's arrangements with Meredith, George was on a mission to find Izzie. 

He'd spent so much of the past couple of weeks in complete avoidance mode that he'd almost forgotten where to find her.

He was exiting the last (empty) on-call room when he spotted her turning a corner.

"Izzie." He called.

She hadn't heard him.

He rushed down the hall and called her name again once she was in sight.

"Izzie."

She turned around.

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

He didn't notice Callie, standing with her back to him at the nurse's desk, until a patient's chart fell to the floor and she reached to retrieve it.

She angrily glanced at him and shot a look at Izzie before swiftly walking off.

"Great." George said as Izzie approached.

"And just when I thought she couldn't hate me anymore."

"Shh." He pulled her into the nearest on-call room.

"Thanks for the heads-up that you were telling her, by the way. This is my reputation, too."

"I know. I really didn't mean-"

"Forget it. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Well, that was part of it. But...I think it's time we tell."

"What do you mean 'tell'? Tell who? In case you've forgotten, Callie already knows."

"I mean Meredith, Alex, Cristina."

"What? Are you crazy?" Izzie replied.

"I'm tired of hiding it. I'm tired of things being weird with us and I just want things to go back to the way they were." He slammed his hand down against a surgical tray.

"I want my friends back. I want to not have to hide out in the hospital for three days because I'm afraid our friends might found out what we did if we stay in the same house."

"You've been staying here? George-"

"I didn't think it would make sense to get a hotel yet, but now..."

"I have an idea."

* * *

Later that night, Izzie was snacking nervously in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. 

"Doorbell!" Alex called from the living room where he, Meredith and Cristina were watching television.

"Seriously? Don't get up, I've got it." Izzie opened the door.

"Hey."

"Hey. George's here! " She called into the other room. "You can...go on in."

After the words were out of her mouth, she realized she had never needed to announce George's presence before, and that he would know where to go without being directed.

She leaned against the wall as George caught up with the others.

_Deep breaths._

When Izzie joined the group in the living room she sat down in the empty space between Meredith and Alex on the couch.

Cristina, as usual, spoke up first.

"What's going on?"

Alex muted the television before Izzie took the remote control from him and turned it off completely.

"Well," George began from where he sat on the floor, knees pulled up to his chest.

Izzie took another deep breath.

_Here it comes_, she thought

"Callie left me."

"What? Oh, George." Meredith moved to touch his shoulder (she'd become a lot more emotional since drowning) but George held up his hand.

"That's not all."

"There's more? And I thought my life sucked." Cristina spoke up.

Meredith shot her a look.

"What?"

She shook her head.

"Well, the reason she broke up with me was-"

"Don't tell me it was the whole failing your boards thing, I didn't realize Callie was that shallow."

"Seriously? You had a problem when I was dating Finn because he wasn't a 'real' doctor."

"That was completely different."

"Different _how?"_

"HEY." George spoke up.

The room went silent.

"Callie broke up with me because Izzie and I slept together." He rushed.

Alex laughed.

"...So what really happened?"

Izzie shifted uncomfortably at his side.

"You're serious."

Cristina covered her mouth to hide her smile, then coughed to regain her composure.

Silence.

"When-when did this happen?" Meredith spoke up finally.

Izzie answered.

"Um, after you drowned...we got really drunk one night and, well..." She laughed nervously. "We actually didn't really remember the next day. Well, he didn't. I did, all the time...but then he remembered too so we both knew. But...yeah."

"My head's going to explode." Cristina said.

Alex laughed. "I can't believe this."

"Believe it." George moaned from the floor.

"Anyone else have any earth shattering news? Pregnancies, secret marriage? We're on a roll here. Meredith?"

"I resent that. I have been very normal lately."

"I slept with Addison." Alex offered.

"Okay, something we don't all know already."

"Do you know how hard it was not to tell anyone?"

"You two stumbling out of an on-call room _kind _of spoke for itself."

"So wait, what does this mean for you guys?" Meredith questioned.

George shrugged, looking at the ground.

"Uh…" Izzie started.

"Well, this is awkward. Way to kill it, thanks Mer." Cristina said.

"I don't think we thought that far." George said.

"Or at all." Izzie elbowed Alex in the ribs then made an attempt at changing the subject.

"Okay, but I had an idea…Cristina,"

"Oh, here it comes."

"…Since you aren't really living in the apartment right now…and George technically has no place to live…"

"No way."

"Come on, Cristina. He's practically homeless." Meredith added.

"Guys." George spoke up.

"George, this place is packed. You know you can't keep sleeping at the hospital without someone catching you. And there's no way you can afford a decent hotel for more than a week or two.

"I guess you're right." He said.

"Of course I'm right. Cristina?"

"I'll think about it."

* * *

Having had the day off, Mark helped Addison pack until they finished in the earlier hours of the evening. 

After a lengthy goodbye hug and after Addison had shed a number of tears, he left with the realization that this was it.

She was leaving.

He couldn't (or wouldn't allow himself to) follow her again.

Unwilling to head back to his own room, the thought crossed his mind to start his next day's shift early.

On his way to Seattle Grace, he instead parked his car and headed across the street to Joe's.

The first thing he spotted was Derek sitting at a booth alone, legs stretched on to the seat in front of him. He took a drink from a glass.

Mark rolled his eyes and approached the table.

He moved Derek's legs to the side and took a seat.

"What happened with Meredith this time?"

"Nice to see you too, Mark."

"So it's _not_ Meredith?"

"No, it's not Meredith. But thanks for the genuine concern."

"So what's wrong then?" He stretched his arms along the back of the seat behind him.

"Not that it's really any of your business..."

"Come on, who else are you going to talk to?"

"Point taken."

"After Burke's bachelor party, that woman I met here..."

"Which woman?"

"Dark hair, nice smile?"

"Hmm."

Derek rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, she offered to buy me a drink. I refused of course because, well...Meredith."

"Well, of course." Mark said sarcastically.

"She's one of the new interns."

Mark allowed Derek to pause for effect.

"And she's Meredith's sister.

"And?"

"What do you mean, 'And?' She's Meredith's sister."

"I mean, why does it matter? So you flirted with another woman in a bar for a few minutes. You love Meredith, right?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do."

"Then it shouldn't matter."

"It shouldn't. But this is Meredith, everything matters. I told her I met a woman here."

"And why would you do that?"

"Because we have an open, honest relationship. Something you know nothing about. I had to tell her."

"No, you told her because you felt guilty...or you wanted to make her feel guilty. Whatever it was, now it's going to bite you in the ass."

"It is _not _going to bite me in the ass. I'm sure her sister knows what happened in the bar was a one time thing. People flirt in bars all the time. And I'm her boss.

"Right. Because that stopped you the first time."

Derek fidgeted nervously.

"Just make sure Meredith doesn't find out."


	7. Chapter 7

**Two Weeks Later**

_Cristina's (Burke's) Apartment_

After a week of pleas from Meredith and Izzie, Cristina had finally agreed to allow George to reclaim his spot on the couch in her apartment.

With George moving in she found no reason to continue inconveniencing Meredith, especially now that she and McDreamy seemed to be back together.

Burke wasn't coming back.

She repeated the sentence she'd been reminding herself of for the past several weeks.

Burke _is not_ coming back.

Even if he did, Cristina had decided that now would be too late.

Too late would've been that hour after the wedding when she'd first discovered he was gone in the first place.

When she had looked into the mirror and seen what she had become. Dressed in the perfect white dress with perfectly drawn on eyebrows and the perfect Burke-family heirloom fastened around neck.

When her best friend had literally had to cut her out of that perfect dress because she couldn't stand to be in it any longer.

She hated to admit it but Colin Marlowe had been right, this wasn't her.

She was a surgeon.

Finding Mr. Right just wasn't high on her priority list right now. Excel at work first, everything else can wait.

As she dumped the contents of the same duffel Izzie had packed not long before she heard a crash from the living room.

She tried to channel Meredith's new positive attitude by counting backwards from ten, slowly.

"Dude, she's so going to kill you," Alex laughed from the living room.

_Better make it fifteen._

_

* * *

_

_Seattle__ Grace Hospital_

Now that Izzie had helped convince Cristina to let George move into her apartment (in the process also solving the issue of the overcrowded house) she needed a new project.

Meredith and Derek had pretty much worked things out on their own.

Cristina was throwing herself into her work, which with anyone else might have concerned her but she knew it was where she was meant to be.

Alex was keeping a low profile both at work and at home these days, or maybe she had been too focused on trying to analyze Cristina that she hadn't noticed him.

An inability to fix the problems in other people's lives had left her time to think of only one thing.

George.

She wished things would go back to normal already.

Weeks before, Izzie had decided that she could blame her feelings for George on jealousy.

Temporary insanity.

Dislike of Callie.

Denny.

Alex.

Even Meredith.

Whatever the case, whatever_ it_ was, she was fully convinced that those feelings were gone.

That she could turn the "best friend" switch back on, erasing the past months, fixing things.

Even if that meant helping George win Callie back.

Surprisingly, he hadn't believed her noble intentions.

_"Maybe we should just...take a break."_

_"Take a break? We're friends George. Friends don't need 'a break'," Izzie said. _

He'd given her a look.

Neither Meredith nor Cristina had believed her either.

_"So, two weeks ago you were head over heels in love with him and now...friends?," Cristina asked, ice cream carton in hand, spoon waving in the air._

_"This is so much worse than when I slept with him." Meredith had concluded._

Alex had actively avoided any conversation involving her and George, really conversation with her in general, not that she could blame him. It was weird. One moment she wasn't ready to get into another complicated relationship after Denny, yet hoped Alex would remain in love with her...the next she's in bed with George.

Best friend George.

Pretty much asexual (though he was married to Callie and had the whole Syph Nurse thing) _George_.

Obviously that would be confusing. She would have felt worse had she not thought he was too preoccupied with thoughts of Addison and Ava to care.

With Alex and George avoiding her like the plague and Cristina and Meredith being CristinaandMeredith (when they weren't, Meredith was with Derek and/or Cristina was working) Izzie was pretty damn bored.

Today, she was making use of her favorite bench in front of the hospital to eat her lunch. She had brought a magazine along so she wouldn't seem like she was _alone_ alone, though she was.

At moments like these she wished she had thought to spend the time getting to know other people around the hospital.

When she bored with flipping through the latest Cosmo, she tossed it aside and stretched her legs onto the sidewalk in front of her, closing her eyes.

"Dreaming of me, I hope. You know, I am willing to help make those dreams become a reality."

"Don't you have someone else you could be off bothering, Dr. Sloan?," she questioned.

"Always love that positive attitude, Dr. Stevens. As a matter of fact I can't chat for long, I have to catch a flight to L.A."

He had moved her magazine to sit beside her on the bench.

"You're going to see Addison? You can't be serious."

"Not that it's any of your business, but I have a consult at Cedars-Sinai"

"Right."

"One of my former patients ran herself into a tree this morning. Probably drunk off her ass. She won't trust anyone else with her face. Not that I can blame her...that place is filled with incompetents."

"Surely. Strictly work-related, then?"

"Well, I didn't say that," He said, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"Aren't you tired?"

"I'm afraid to ask 'of what?' "

"Of chasing after her. You followed her all the way from New York to Seattle, on more than one occasion I do believe, only for her to get back with her ex-husband...and then when that didn't work out she decided she'd rather take her chances with an intern than try things with you again. Shouldn't that tell you something?"

"I'm afraid you don't know what you're talking about, Dr. Stevens."

He looked away.

For the first time, maybe ever, Izzie regretted her attitude.

She didn't know where it had come from. What right did _she_ have to lecture him on his past relationship with a friend?

Not to mention that, inappropriate as he often was, he was still her boss. She'd definitely gone too far.

She could feel her cheeks flush pink in embarrassment.

"I apologize, Dr. Sloan," she said, collecting her magazine and the remains of her lunch. "Have a safe flight."

She hurried away before he could say another word.

* * *

Meredith sat on a bench in the locker room, impatiently waiting for her boyfriend to finish up a surgery.

She had promised Cristina she'd stop by her apartment before dinner with her family, and time was running out if she wanted a chance to relax beforehand.

Earlier that week she had been all but accosted by Lexie in the hallway.

_"Meredith."_

_"Oh, uh... hey." She'd unconsciously folded her arms in front of her chest._

_This was the exact situation she had prided herself on having avoided for the past several weeks. _

_She should've known her luck would run out eventually._

_"So, it's kind of crazy that we've been in this hospital for so long and haven't run into one another yet, right?" _

Not really_, Meredith thought. She saw her at least once a day but had thus far managed to avoid her by ducking behind a corner or someone in the hallway, often at the last minute. _

_"Yeah, it is. But it's a big place, so..."_

_"So, I was thinking...we should get together for dinner. Dad keeps asking about you and Molly really wants to see you and we'd love if you could come over for dinner on Friday. I checked your schedule, I know you're off at 12...that gives you plenty of time to rest up and come over for dinner later...I know I'm being pretty pushy but I can promise you if Molly calls she'll be ten times worse. You might as well say yes to me now. Say yes." _

_Meredith was pretty sure she hadn't stopped to take a breath. That must've come from Susan. _

_"Well, my dad and I haven't spoken since..."_

_"I was there, I know what he did. He feels horrible about it Meredith, and I'm sure he'll apologize himself if you come over. You can bring Derek if you'd like." _

_Meredith sighed._

_"Or we could meet at a restaurant, you know...neutral territory." She laughed. "We just really want to get to know you better, my mother really liked you...Plus, we have to work together and I think it would be better for both of us if you didn't feel like you have to avoid me at all costs." _

_"I'm not avoiding-"_

_"Say you'll come."_

_"I just really don't think this is a good idea." _

_"Just order something small and I promise we won't say anything if you cut out early. Just come, for a little while."_

Eventually Meredith had given in.

So here she sat, hands shaking, in the locker room, silently wishing her boyfriend would hurry back before she had a panic attack.

What seemed like hours later, the door finally swung open.

"Hey."

"Hey, how's your patient?" She stood, wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans.

"In recovery. Have you been here the whole time? I was looking for you in the gallery."

"Yeah, I just needed somewhere to think..."

"About dinner?"

"What else?"

"It won't be so bad, Mer. Think of how horrible you thought that first dinner with your dad and Susan would be."

"And it would have been if it weren't for Susan."

"You'll have me. And Lexie and Molly."

"I guess. I'm kind of wishing this was at the house, though."

"Really? No where to hide if things get tough." He teased.

"Good point." She sighed, staring blankly ahead at the lockers.

"Let's just go?"

She grabbed onto his outstretched hand and let him lead her out of the room.

* * *

Minutes later, still reeling from his brief conversation with Izzie, Mark managed to make it as far as his car.

He'd tossed his briefcase into the back seat and slid in behind the steering wheel.

It wasn't that he was upset, everything that she had said to him had been something he'd thought to himself a time or two before. He was, however, in shock that she had said it.

_Bad day, maybe._ He'd thought.

Maybe people really were just sick of seeing him clearly pining after Addison while still managing to work his way through a good portion of the hospital staff.

Was everyone thinking that he needed to let it go?

Why did he care?

He rarely cared what others thought. People other than Addison.

The whole bet fiasco had been a prime example of that. It had been simple. He didn't want Addison to think that she had been the first to move on, to hurt him. Despite his long history of hurting her. He couldn't let her believe she had that much control over his emotions. A front he'd probably blown that night a few weeks ago when he'd helped her pack.

As he sat thinking he turned to see Derek and Meredith advancing in his direction.

He noticed Meredith's Jeep parked only two spaces away from where he sat in his own car.

She must not have noticed when she'd pulled in earlier. Not that it would really matter to her, she was one of the few people at the hospital who could actually stand him.

Their hands were intertwined, Meredith was visibly upset and Derek, at this point, was practically pulling her to the car.

They leaned against the back bumper, Derek lifting Meredith's chin and saying a few words before kissing her forehead.

Without thought he extended his hand for the keys she was fishing out of her pocket.

They still hadn't noticed Mark.

He retrieved the information he'd been sent on his patient at Cedars-Sinai, pretending to flip through it until the two pulled away.

_Cristina's Apartment_

Surprisingly, George and Alex had managed to bring in a good amount of George's belongings before Cristina had peered into the room to glare at them.

Even more surprisingly, when she'd done so she'd only told them where the broom and dustpan and ducked back into the room.

"She okay?" George had whispered, cocking his head towards her bedroom.

Alex shrugged.

"Things are really fucked up around here lately."

That was an understatement.

"Yeah." George had agreed, sweeping up the remnants of what had to have been one of Burke's expensive pieces.

About a half an hour later after his things had been situated Alex had left. Cristina remained in the bedroom, asleep at this point, he figured. There was no way she had that many things to unpack.

George tentatively reclined, removing his shoes before he lifted his feet onto the coffee table.

He sighed.

How had he gone from life living in a hotel room mostly paid for by his apparently very wealthy wife to living on his friend's couch, a friend who he was pretty sure only tolerated him because of the others?

He knew what he had to do.

He had to apologize to Callie. Maybe for making her fall in love with him, maybe for proposing, maybe for wasting her time. At the very least she deserved an explanation.

He just had to figure out what that explanation was first.

* * *

_Canlis Restaurant_

Later that evening, after stopping by Cristina's apartment for the few minutes she'd promised, Meredith and Derek stood outside the restaurant where they were to meet her family.

"Do we have to?"

"Well, we don't have to but then you will likely face a lifetime of awkwardness when you happen to run into your sister in the hallway. Or bump into one of them at the grocery store, or wherever."

"Okay, looking for a little more support here."

Derek smiled, "I'm not going to lie to you."

"So basically we have to go in?"

"We have to go in."

For the second time that day, Meredith let his hand envelop hers and lead her into the restaurant.

They approached the hostess.

"We're supposed to be meeting...is there a reservation for Grey?" She had managed to choke out.

"Right this way."

Good, they were already seated. That would save the awkwardness of deciding where to sit, they'd have no choice.

As they approached the table Meredith spotted the two empty seats, one beside Lexie, the other next to Molly who also sat beside a man she assumed was her husband. Thatcher sat between Molly's husband and Lexie.

"Meredith! I'm so glad you came." Molly sprung out of her seat, taking her into a hug before she had time to process.

Meredith's arms hung limply at her side before she gave in, loosely wrapping her arms around the blonde.

After a moment she broke the hug, briefly touching Derek's arm and then introducing him to her sister.

Molly then introduced the man who was in fact her husband before Derek reached over to shake his hand.

Meredith smiled hesitantly, raising her hand to greet the others at the table. Her eyes slid past her father's to Lexie, who motioned to the seat beside her.

Maybe the night wouldn't be so bad after all.


End file.
